Poetry & Publications
With University of Toronto's poetry courses, I have been able to strengthen my literary voice. I have completed Diaspora Dialogue's Long Form Mentorship, drafting my debut poetry collection: PYG. My current mentor is Fillipinx-Canadian poet and author Therese Estacion.
Below are the issues where poems are published.
“With deftness and striking control, Kryslyne-Mai Ancheta’s poems explore themes of identity, family, belonging, and the legacies of colonization with a refreshing and distinctive voice. Through powerful imagery and a keen ear for sound, her work resonates on the page and crackles when spoken aloud. These poems are a stunning act of bridging—between worlds, histories, and ways of seeing.” - Delani Valin, poet
Janice Colbert Poetry Prize
Through University of Toronto, I received the Janice Colbert Poetry Prize at TIFA (Toronto International Festival of Authors) in October 2025.
Special thanks to Lee Gowen, Janice Colbert, Jim Colbert, Therese Estacion and 2025 Jurors.
NAVEL
eighty dollars cash
& i'll be at a negative
balance it's not about
being sexy. its about
being fat. i'm bored
i'm broke. it's not a kink
it's a chandelier
to the linty
chapel nave
it's not tacky
everyone wants
a cubic zirconic
entrance to that thing
we call –
a soul.
ANTONY
I tripped at
The perimeter of pleasure
I was aiming
For the insides
You botched my
Wound mid prayer
For mercy. Closer
A squeeze.
Ask me anything
Ring what’s left
of me. Letting
It drip and stick
On your sores
I’m felt for later
To salvage My darling
My master was mistaken
For you. I water
a devour without
A chew
SCROFA DOMESTICUS
my boyfriend snorts when he laughs
my aunt gets called a PYG!
during dinner
we cough the same virus
& bathe in the same dirt
but we fat ourselves by fatting
the other first